


How It Should Be

by rubygirl29



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Gen, Spoilers, Wish-fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-17
Updated: 2011-05-17
Packaged: 2017-10-19 13:01:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/201122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubygirl29/pseuds/rubygirl29
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a total "Wish-Fic". If I were given a chance to have some input in the S.2 premiere, this is ...</p>
            </blockquote>





	How It Should Be

**Author's Note:**

> I don't claim to be a forensics expert. This is all pretty much based on speculation. But since the writers of the show can shoot somebody in the liver and let them live for hours ... and if Steve can shatter his arm and still fight the bad guys ... I can be entitled, right?

Danny Williams woke up with acid in his stomach and a hole in his heart, the same way he'd been waking up for the last week. Everything in his life was so fucked up that he didn't know how to begin to put it back together, but he was going to try, just like he had every day since H5-0 had been dismantled. It had happened so fast, so perfect in its collapse that there had to be an architect behind it. It was finding all the pieces and putting them together that was burning in his gut.

He rolled out of bed, managed to shave and was pouring his first cup of coffee when the phone rang. He glanced at it and groaned. "Rachel, this is so not a good time to call."

"I'm sorry if I don't fit into your schedule, but this is important, and you have to hear it."

Danny really didn't have time, but he relented. "Fine. I'm listening."

"I went for an ultrasound yesterday."

Panic. "Are you all right, is the baby okay?"

"I'm fine, but there isn't any easy way to say this ... Danny, the baby can't be yours. I'm at least a month farther along than I realized. The baby is Stan's."

"What?" Danny sank down on a chair. "You're kidding, right? How could you make that mistake? It's not like Stan was in the bed with us."

"I'm sorry, Danny. I was so wrapped up in you, in us, that I didn't notice. But ultrasounds don't lie."

"What are you going to do?"

"It's fairly obvious, isn't it? This -- we --have to stop. I've had time to think. What we did was wrong. Wrong for me, for you, for Grace, for the new baby, for Stan."

"I thought you loved me." He could hardly speak.

"I thought I did, but maybe we were both blinded by chemistry. I won't say that we don't have it, or that we always will, but we acted rashly and hurt innocent people. We hurt Grace, and you and I both love her too much to live a lie."

"Baby --"

"Stop it, Danny! You obviously have your priorities and I have mine. I've made my decision. I'm going to do the right thing. We'll work out visitation again. I won't try to stop you from seeing Grace, I promise."

Danny couldn't think straight. He felt betrayed, hurt, sick. Probably like poor Stan would have felt if things had been different. His phone beeped to signal an incoming call. Chin Ho. "I have to go. Do me a favor, stay in Jersey for a while, don't send Grace back. I'm in some deep shit on this case and I'd be happier knowing you're both safe."

"Be careful, Danny. Please, for Grace."

"I will. Tell her Danno loves her." But Rachel had already hung up. He couldn't think about it now. When this business was over, maybe he'd figure it out, but for now, as she had said, he had priorities.

He picked up the other call. "Williams."

"Danny, it's Chin. I've got news. Kono is out on bail."

"Good. Maybe something is going right."

"Maybe not. At least in jail she was in protective custody. And it gets worse."

Danny scrubbed a hand across his face. "Tell me."

"They're sending Steve to the federal lockup with the general population."

"Shit! They can't do that!"

"Apparently, the judge says they can."

"Whose pocket is he in?"

"Do you have to ask?"

He didn't. There was only one answer. "Isn't there anything we can do?"

"I don't know. I'll work on it."

"Chin, listen. Thank you. I know you're not supposed to be on Steve's side, but I couldn't do this alone. Keep an eye on Kono. I'm going to see McGarrett before they transfer him. Have you heard anything from Jenna?"

"She's working her CIA contacts. No news, but she's like a little terrier. She'll shake something loose.

"Keep me in the loop."

"I will, brah. I will. Gotta get back to my desk, look like I'm doing something about that robbery that came in."

 _God._ Danny felt sick.

^*^*^*^*^*^*^

Steve looked rough; heavy stubble, weary red-rimmed eyes, hollow cheeks; like he hadn't slept or eaten in over a week. He had rolled the sleeves of his prison uniform up over his biceps, showing off his tats and muscles. It was a good show of bravado, but there was that crinkle at the corner of his eyes, the reddening of his cheeks when Danny showed up that gave away his human vulnerability.

"How ya doin'?" Danny asked, as if it weren't obvious.

"Any news?"

Good avoidance technique, Danny thought. "Kono is out on bail. Chin is keeping an eye on her to keep her safe."

"Good. We have ... you have to protect her."

"We will. We've got that covered. Steven, they're moving you to the Federal penitentiary. Putting you in the general prison population. You should worry about yourself, not Kono."

"I'll be fine." He had that irritating grimace on his face that drove Danny insane.

"Fine? Will you listen to yourself? You're a cop. Excuse me, but a pretty white boy isn't going to have much of a chance when a prison gang catches you in the shower."

To Danny's annoyance, Steve laughed. "God, you're worried about my ass? I've been in worse places than this, Danno."

"Excuse me, Mr. Super SEAL, but the Taliban probably had a vested interest in keeping you alive -- and there ain't no SEAL Team Six coming to save you ... not in here."

"Danny, listen. I'll be fine. I know how to protect myself."

"Fine. Just don't expect me to come here and hold your hand when you get a shiv in the kidney, Steven. Don't you _dare_ shrug this off. This is bad. If you're smart, and I know you are even though you don't act like it, you'll do something outrageous like start a food fight in the cafeteria and get yourself into solitary ASAP. Got that?"

"Yeah. I got it."

"Good, because Chin, Jenna and me are working on getting you out of here. No friend of mine ... not one, is gonna spend his life in jail. Got that? You're _Ohana_ , brah." Steve was looking at him, eyes narrowed like lasers. "What?"

"What's going on with you, Danny?"

"You have to ask?"

"What about Rachel?"

Caught dead to rights, Danny had to confess. "She's gone back to Jersey. She ... the baby. It's not mine. It's Stan's. She 'miscounted.' It's over. She's staying with Stan. Grace is with her. I told her to keep Grace there until I know it's safe to come back."

"Jesus, Danny. I'm sorry. Really sorry."

"Yeah. Go figure, we've got chemistry, but it's not the good kind. So, she wants stability for this baby. Good old Stan has that in spades, apparently." Danny scrubbed his hand over his face. "Forget it. It's nothing compared to this. I'll get you out, I swear it. Just ... just don't do anything more criminally stupid than you've already done, okay?"

"Sure."

Danny rolled his eyes. It didn't sound particularly convincing. His phone beeped. "It's Max Bergman. Yeah? Be right there." He looked at Steve, his eyes bright. "Max thinks he has something to help."

"Isn't there anybody who isn't working on this?" Steve seemed both irritated and touched.

"Shut up, McGarrett, and accept the fact that you've got friends. I'm going to leave now, and you keep a low profile. Maybe we can end this before it starts." He stood up, hung up the receiver. Waved once and mouthed, "Aloha."

"Aloha," Steve mouthed back. Then the guards led him away.

^*^*^*^*^*^*^

Max Bergman looked at Danny, his eyes wide and excited. However, they usually were. Danny wasn't holding his breath. Next to him, Jenna shifted from foot to foot. "Max?"

"Okay. Looking at the body, the late governor was shot twice in the chest. Commander McGarrett is 6'3" tall, correct?"

"Close enough."

"We found him standing here ..." Max drew an imaginary line on the floor. "Close. There should be powder burns on her clothing, her skin, and the bullets should have entered and exited the body on an angle, given the Commander's height. But instead ... they are straight. As if the shooter were closer to her height. How tall is Wo Fat?"

Danny looked at Jenna. "He's about 5'9."

"Yes!" Danny couldn't help it. He did a fist-pump. "Anything else?"

"While Commander McGarrett's gun had been discharged, there was very little residue on the gloves he wore, and none on his clothing. No blood spatter on the vest he wore, either, which there would have been if he shot at close range, yet there is blood spatter on the rug and on his side. I would say that it looks as if the Commander was on the floor when the Governor was shot."

"Did a doctor examine Steve?" Danny asked Jenna.

"No. They said it wasn't necessary."

Danny called Chin. "I need the most incorruptible judge and public defender in the state."

"I know one or two. Why?"

"Because I think we have enough evidence to get the charges against Steve dropped. We've got to move fast, before they can transfer McGarrett."

He had expected _something_ from Chin. Some celebratory exclamation. Instead silence. "What?"

"It's too late. They took him an hour ago."

Danny cursed. "Get that judge and defender to HPD. Jenna will get Max Bergman over there. I'm going to the penitentiary before it's too late." He gave Jenna a little shove. "Go!"

^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
McGarrett was processed with the other felons. Stripped, searched, showered with harsh soap, handed clean, rough clothing and led to a cell. He'd been in worse prisons, but as a soldier, a Prisoner of War, not as a common criminal. Not as a murderer. He lay down on the hard mattress and closed his eyes. He'd survived that. He'd survive this.

When the guard woke him by rattling the bars of his cell, he sat up. "What?"

"Dinner."

"I'm not hungry."

The guard laughed. "You think this is a 5-star restaurant? You eat when we tell you. No room service here, brah."

He surrendered and followed the guard, the shackles on his ankles rattling like death.When they got to the cafeteria, the guard unlocked the chains. "Enjoy your meal." He gave Steve a shove in the back.

Steve knew every eye in the place was on him; he saw curiosity, fear, hate. Mostly hate. A whisper ran through the room like the rush of angry waves on a rocky beach. He tensed. There was a sudden absence of guards as a group of men slowly closed around him. They wanted a fight ... then he'd give them one.

He took the first three out easily. They were the advance, big men but soft. They fell hard; one clutching a broken wrist, the other with a smashed hand, the third wailing and grabbing at his dislocated kneecap. Steve wasn't breathing hard when the next five moved in. They were street smart thugs with faster reflexes. He took a few hits to the ribs that made him gasp, but he was in superb physical condition, fast reflexes and strong lungs. He was winning the battle, three more of his opponents had been neutralized. The remaining two were dancing around him like prizefighters. Steve adapted. He'd done Golden Gloves, sparred with his SEAL teammates. He could have won, but in focusing on his opponents, he missed the wolf pack moving in on him. He missed the shiv that rammed into his back, the fist that clubbed him on the back of his neck, stunning him, the second shiv between his ribs, the final kick to his head that sent him spinning into pain and darkness.

^*^*^*^*^*^*^

 _Babe, I thought I told you I wasn't going to hold your hand in the hospital if you got a shiv between your ribs. But here I am, so do me the courtesy of opening your eyes and apologizing."_

Steve opened his eyes. His vision cleared slowly. He was in the hospital, in a private room. No bars, not the prison infirmary, then. The sun was shining on Danny's bright hair, glinting in his blue eyes. Danny looked exhausted and rumpled with deep shadows under his eyes and a hurt, vulnerable curve to his mouth. "Danno?"

"Morning, sunshine."

"Fuck you," he groaned.

"No, no, no ... you do NOT get to be all grumpy and whiny. You get to open your eyes and say, 'Thank you, Danny. Thank you, Chin. And thank you, Max Bergman for saving my life and proving me innocent of not one, but two murders."

Steve blinked at him. "What? How?"

"Not now, later, Super SEAL Ninja. You're down about two units of blood, have a bruised cervical vertebrae, numerous other contusions, and a cracked rib. You're on so many drugs right now that you wouldn't remember anything I told you anyhow."

"Kono?"

"They're reviewing her case. It looks hopeful. She's got the whole HPD behind her. She's one of them. They'll clear her."

"Wo Fat?"

Danny sighed and shook his head. "Gone. We'll get him, when you're out of here and healed up."

"Danny, how long have I been here?"

"Forty-eight of the longest hours of my life. You nearly died, babe." His thumb moved across Steve's bruised knuckles. "So for the next week or so, you get to lie here and make passes at the nurses who are already fighting over sponge-bath privileges, and let me and Chin do our job."

"Job? We still have jobs?"

"Yeah, fancy that. The lieutenant governor, who is pure as the driven snow, wants us to keep on being 5-0. He says it's the least he can do ... at least until the next election. He plans to run on the being tough on organized crime ticket."

"Great." McGarrett could see his life getting complicated ... again. "Danny --"

"We'll get Wo Fat. We'll get Kono back, and Jenna will stay as long as we need her. She's good, Steve, really good, at what she does. Like a terrier, she won't let go until something shakes loose."

"I was going to say thank you."

"Oh. Okay, I can live with that. Take care and I'll see you in the morning. I'll bring Max."

Steve just sighed and closed his eyes, his hand relaxing on Danny's. Danny firmed his grip briefly. "Aloha."

"You know that means hello and goodbye," McGarrett murmured.

"This ain't good-bye, babe." He pulled away reluctantly. His phone vibrated and he looked at the screen, smiling. "Hey, monkey. How's my girl?"

He heard Grace sigh. "I miss you, Danno. You and Uncle Steve, and Kono ... and everybody. It's cold here."

"I know, sweetie. We miss you, too."

"When can I come home?"

Danny's heart cramped in his chest. "Soon, baby. Real soon. Be good for mommy and step-Stan, okay?"

"Is Uncle Steve okay?"

Danny looked at Steve's still, peaceful face. "He's fine. He'll be just fine. Goodnight, Gracie. Danno loves you. Always remember that."

Grace kissed the phone and was gone. "Just fine," Danny said with a soft sigh. He sat back down, slouched in his chair and closed his eyes. Tomorrow, he'd be back at his desk, back at 5-0 with Chin Ho and Jenna. Maybe even Kono if they got lucky. Beyond that, he couldn't see. He only knew Steve would be there, and that was enough for now.

 **The End**

 


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